Barrel-carriage for ordnance.



A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

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BARREL CARRIAGE FOR OEDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.28, 1910.

1,128,591. y Patented 11611.16, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

BARREL CARRIAGE FOR ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2B, 1910.

1,128,591 Patented Feb. 16,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNTTED STATES PATENT onirica.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER,

ENGLAND.

BARREL-CARRTAGE FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application led December 28, 1910. .SerialNd 599,722.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR 'IRnvon Dawsomknight, and GEORGE THOMAS BUCK- HAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, Aresiding at 32 Victoria street, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Barrel-Carriages for Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to barrel carriages of the kind that are provided with two pairs of wheels and with means for enabling the main frame to be connected with the rear end of the trail afterthe barrel carriage has been brought into a position contiguous to the gun, and the main frame (as distinct from an upper frame carried by the main frame) raised into a position such that the said main frame is in alinement with the gun mounting. In one .known arrangement of barrel carriage the means .for lifting the main frame comprisesa chain and sprocket arrangement by which the rear end of the trail is lifted )fromthe ground and in rising brings suitable pieceson the trail and the main frame intoengagement and thus raises the rear end of the carriage Itogether with the rearward wheels so as to cause the said rear end to assume a position in which vthe slide on the carriage will lie opposite the gun slidesof-themounting.

According to the present invention we so construct and arranige the barre-1 carriage that when the main rame of the barrel carvriageis lifted, both the .front and rear pair of wheels :remain on :the ground; by this means the lifting of :the additional weight represented by the rear pair of wheels is avoided. We may also-provide the rear end ofzthe barrel carriage with rollers which are adapted to coperate with the sides of the trail to guidethe frame into position in line witlrthe axis o'f the gun when the barrel carriage is being brought intoposition adjacent to the gun mounting ready to receive the gun. The said rollers are preferably so arranged that they can be adjusted to compensate for difference inheight between the barrel carriage and the gun carriage.

The means' for raising therear end of the main frame of the barrel carriage (z'. e. the end adjacent to the gun) may comprise screw elevating gear of :such a character that the screws of such gear will takea bearing on the trail which will constitute an abutment or support for said screws during the lifting of the main frame.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichz- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one constructional form of our improved barrel carriage arranged contiguous to a -gun mounting, the barrel carriage being in position to be connected with the mounting. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the barrel carriage and the mountingshowing the former connected to the mounting and in position to receive the gun from the said mounting. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 1, l of Fig. l. Fig. 3a is a fragmentgrl side elevation showing the means for adjusting the guide rollers. Fig. -1 is a section taken approximately on the line 2, 2, of Fig. 2,. and Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 2 showing another constructional form of the barrel carriage.

In these figures, A is the gun mounting, A is the trail, B is the gun, C is the main frame of the barrel carriage and D, E are respectively the front and rear wheels of the said barrel carriage.

Referring more particularly to the-construction shown in Figs. l to 4, the main frame C of the barrel carriage has slots c formed inthe sides and said -slotszare provided with stifl'ening pieces o whichat `the same time serve as guides for supporting the axle E of the rear wheels. The said axle is cranked and has flat faces E* (Fig.

on its middleportion to form sliding-surfaces for the said stilfening pieces c. lOn the underside of the .main frame C of the barrel carria e and toward its front end a support D for the trail limber eye'fis provided, the said support being .preferably constructed of steel plates and .having at its lower end an upright or an inverted limber pin DX. A hole is formedin thedatter to receive a cotter pin when thesaid limberpin has engaged .with-the limber eye after the rear end of the trail has been lifted from the ground by means of hand-spikes, or handles ai provided on the trail The said support D may be-hinged tothe frame C at d so as to enable itto-be swung into a position to lie against Athe underside of the main frame when traveling, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, the support being. retained in this position by passing the cotter through a plate bracket on the underside of the frame and through the inverted pin. rl`he front end of the main frame C is connected to the limber D2 carrying the frontv wheels D by means of a swiveling limber eye Z2 as is well understood. The aforesaid i gear for raising the rear end of the main frame C consists of two screws F F, carried in brackets one on either side of the barrel carriage frame and operated by means of worms fx which are connected together by a transverse shaft f having actuating handles F at its ends, the said worms gearing with worm wheels Fx mounted on the screws F. The upper ends of the screws F are provided with collars f2 (Fig. 4.) which are preferably arranged to enable a small amount of adjustment to be obtained in the length of travel of the screws to allow for wear or to compensate for any spring that may take place in the material of which the main frame C is composed. The lower ends of the screws F are heinispherical as shown in Fig. 4c so as to center themselves, when the frame of the carriagev is being elevated, in cup shaped bearings AX provided for the purpose on the sides of the trail A. The aforesaid traversing -gear is carried in a bracket G (Fig. 3) attached to one side of the rear axle E', and comprises a screw Gr engaging with a rotary nut g', the free end of the said screw being connected to a lug G2 formed on the rear axle guides c of the barrel carriage, by means of a loose vertically arranged pin g2 so that when the main frame C is lifted by means of the aforesaid elevating gear, the said loose pin will be released from the screw and so disconnect the traversing gear, thereby preventing damage-being done to any of the parts of the traversing gear. The said gear isy operated by a hand-wheel Gr connected with the screw Gr by bevel wheels. This traversing gear serves (when necessary) to bring the guide rollers G3 (Figs. 1 and 2) into proper position relatively to the trail sides while moving the barrel carriage up vto the gun. As shown in Fig. A3a each of.

the rollers Gais carried in a slide on theY rear of the frame C and is connected to a link gs which is pivotally attached to one end of the lever gJl pivoted at gX to the frame. The link g8 and the lever g4L by means of which the roller is moved are preferably inside the frame and are protected thereby.

At the forward end of the barrel carriage and between the sides of the main frame C thereof is fitted the usual hauling winch H (Fig. 2) for moving the gun from its mounting A on to the barrel carriage or vice versa. This winch is provided with an endless chain it passing over sprocket ywheels placed atv either end of the barrel lifting arrangement for the trail A and the main frame C of the barrel carriage (comprises chain and sprocket gear K situated near the forward end of the barrel Carriage, the lower end of the chain lf3 being adapted to be connected to an eye or: the like k on the trail. The trail is also provided with two pairs of eyes, one pair K being situated near the rear end of the trail and the other pair K2 near its forward end. rlhese eyes are adapted to be connected by means of pins or the like to brackets KX K2* formed on the underside of the main frame C so as to temporarily connect the trail and main frame of the barrel carriage together, the rear wheels of the barrel carslides on said frame for the reception of the barrel, and means coperating between the trail and frame for raising the latter upon the rear axle without disconnection therefrom.

2. The combination with the trail of a gun mounting, of a barrel carriage comprising front and rear pairs of wheels and axles therefor, `a frame connecting said axles, slides on\\said frame for the reception of the barrel, and means for enabling the frame `to be raised, when the trail is raised,

upon the rear pair axle without disconnection therefrom.

3. The combination Vwith the trail of a gun mounting, of a barrel carriage comprising front and rear pairs of wheels and axles therefor, a frame connecting said axles, slides on said frame for the reception of the barrel, and an adjustable abutment cooperating between said trail and frame for raising the latter upon the rear axle without disconnection therefrom.

4. The combination with the trail of a .gun mounting, of a barrel carriage comprising vfront and rear. pairs of wheels and axles therefor, a frame connecting said axles, slides`0n said frame for the reception of the barrel, and an ad'ustable abutmentv for enabling the frame to e raised upon the rear axle when the trail is raised without disconnecting the frame from the axle.

5. The combination with the trail of a gun mounting, of a barrel carriage comprising Vfront and rear pairs of wheels and axles therefor, a frame connecting said axles, slides on said frame for the reception of the barrel, and means whereby when the trail is raised the frame is raised upon the rear axle without disconnection therefrom.

6. The combination with the trail of a gun mounting, of a barrel carriage comprising a frame, slides thereon for the reception of the barrel, front and rear wheels and their axles, means coperating between the trail and the frame for raising the latter without lifting the rear pair of wheels from the ground, and a slotted bracket on the frame to receive the rear axle.

- 7. The combination with the trail of a gun mounting, of a barrel carriage comprising a frame, slides thereon for the reception of the barrel, front and rear wheels and their axles, means co erating between the trail and the frame or raising the latter without lifting the rear pair of wheels from the ground, a bracket on the frame, and a cranked portion on the rear axle engaging in a slot in said bracket.

8. In a barrel carriage for ordnance, the combination with the main frame, its slides for the reception of the barrel, and its front and rear pair of wheels, of means for enabling the main frame to be raised without lifting the rear pair of wheels fromthe ground, guide rollers carried by the main frame, and means for adjusting the height of the said rollers.

9. In a barrel carriage for ordnance, the combination with the main frame, its slides for the reception of the barrel, and its front and rear pair of wheels, of means for enabling the main frame to be raised without lifting the rear pair of wheels from the ground, screws carried by the main frame for engaging with the trail of the gun mounting, and worm mechanism for actuating said screws.

l0. In a barrel carriage for ordnance, the combination with the main frame and its front and rear pair of wheels, of means for enablin out lifting the rear pair of wheels from the ground, screws carried by the main frame for engaging with the trail of the gun mounting, and means carried by the front of the main frame for engaging with the rear end of the trail.

l1. In a barrel carriage for ordnance, the combination with the main frame and its front and rear pair of wheels of means for the main frame to be raised with- 4 enabling the main frame to be raised with- HENRY KING. 

